c4aero, thanks for coming on here and also for a certain epic 'Boulmer Sector Conference Dinner' at RAF Leeming rather a few years ago...!! Which cost us rather a lot thanks to the destructive ways of a few Lightning mates....
I'm intrigued by the use of Merryfield. I first knew it as RAF Merryfield in my (actual) childhood, when it housed a busy Vampire AFS and also some Canberras when Bassingbourn was being resurfaced. Westlands worked on Wyverns and F-86 as well as other aircraft and then came the RN squadrons once the AFS closed, as Yeovilton was being extended for the Sea Vixen. Lots of flying to keep a small boy interested as we lived on the approach.
When the RN moved out, most of the infrastructure went into 'care and maintenance'. But not much of either, really. Local 'travellers' helped themselves to all the wiring, drain covers, window frames and all other metal items, so after the hangars and old control tower were pulled down, there was little left. We kept 3000 pigs in the old domestic site and Officers' Mess (which probably improved the tone) and the old Westlands site became a formal gypsy site. RAFGSA came on an exped and lived in tents and the remains of the old ATC tower - and sent me solo in a T21.
In later decades when the station re-opened for RN helicopter work, everything other than the small air traffic enclave was levelled - there is NOTHING in the way of any other permanent buildings or safe storage for winches and gliders now. Also there are some very vocal noise moaners living nearby; oddly enough they didn't seem quite so concerned about the Vampires and later Sea Venoms, Sea Hawks and Gannets. So while those in charge of Merryfield would no doubt be content for ACO gliding, there will be a considerable cost in infrastructural terms...
I do hope that at least that part of the new ACO strategy goes ahead though.
Oh and Merryfield isn't 'near Exeter' - it's about 40 miles from there. Try Taunton?